davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
THE FARMERS CONVENTION.

We clip the following from the
Raleigh Chronicle:
THE mention in your paper ofthe
End inst, Sunday ofthe mass meet
ing or CONVENTION of the farmers Of
the State, to- be held in Raleigh on
the Goth instA fails to convey, in the
first place, a~nNdequate idea of the
Importance ofEhis meeting, and sec
ondIy, the wHyAnd wherefore such
a meeting HIS been called. The sug-
gestion primarily is the outcome of
the organization Of farmers clubs in
various parts Of the State. 1t was
first determined to meet in Greens
boro on the 10Th inst. The board Of
Agriculture OF the State, for reasons
best known to itself, issued Il call for
a convention of the farmers to meet
on the night of the 18th inst. at Raj
eigh, thus anticipatingthe other con-
vention. 1t was then deemed ad-
visable by those having in charge
the Greensboro meeting, and by re-
quest OF many leading farmers Of the
State, that the time be changed to
the 10th inst, and the place Raleigh.
Hence the request to you to an
nounce that a mass meeting OF the
farmers would be held as indicated.
The agricultural interests Of the
State are in a deplorable condition.
There is not only an absence ofpros-
perity, but a condition Of financial
embarrassment among u farmers
In too many instances, among the
the tenant class, want and suffering
are found. This condition Of things
should not be. We constitute a ma
jority of the population of the State
and our occupation is the main
source other prosperity. Whatever
apparent progress the State may be
showing, it can only be Temporarily
her agriculture is retrograding, ana
that it is on the down grade no one
will deny. There is a cause for IT,
many causes, perhaps, and u IN
dustrial interests-the interests OF
the State-demand that we should
seek them out. We cannot 90 TINS
Individually. We must assemble III
bodies for consultation. We mus
unite and organize, and this call 1or
the mass meeting on the 10Th inst
has for it's object these purposes
Mecklenburg should be lIberally
represented, as we'll as other Por-
tons of the State.
c.. MCDoNALD.
Concord, n. c., Jan. 5.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12

Agriculture, for it would be under
the management and control OF the
farmers of the State. 1t was orlgl--
mated by them and at their instance
it was established and no mar IN Che
State pays one cent of tax to/sup11
port it, unless it be the farmers OF
the State. The amount expended
annually by the department IS
about $45 1000 and it is not strange
that the people are looking for sub
stantial and tangible results from
the expenditure Of so large a sun
Give us nine good solid men as a
board, give us a Commissioners VINO
is from the people, give us an annual
convention of the farmers in a JOINT
meeting with the Board and officers
of the Department and the indus
trial interests of the State will re-
ceive an impetus such as has never
been witnessed in its history.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
IS 1T PROSPERITY?

Northern papers and correspon-
dents of the Northern press are just
now lavish in their praise OF the
growth and prosperity Of the South
We presume this idea is based
on the thrift anh activity which
marks u villages, towns and cities.
But this is not the real measure
of the real prosperity of the South.
1t should be but unfortunately it is
not. 1t would be an astonishing
revelation to the student of indus
trial economy if a correct standard
could be tabulated, showing how
much Of this activity and growth OF
the villages and towns is due to
money and men who have been
withdrawn from the farms. How
many hundreds and thousands of
farmers in our State-owners OF
good lands and comfortable homes
have abandoned them and gone to
the towns within the past ten years?
And n~ine-tenths of the farms thus
abandoned to the mismanagement
of thriftless tenants are producing
less and are deteriorating in value
every year. Is it not time the think
ing men of our State should get to-
gether and calmly and seriously
survey the situation?
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
HUMBUGS AND FRAUDS

P. T. Barnum, who proclaimed
himself the Prince Of humbugs, was
a splendid judge of the character OF
the average American. He said,
there are nopeople on earth who love
humbugging>as do the Americans.
What immensefortunes have been
realized on Aumbug churns, stoves,
clocks, ranges, fruit dryers, washing
machines, lightning rods, patent
medicines, fruit trees, seeds, &c,
bought by the farmers of the coun-
try. We heard of one who sold his
horse and buggy to buy a cook
range at a price at least three times
it's value. We know of clocks sold
at S36, and the identical clock was
sold by a jeweler in this town at
eve dollars. How can a people
prosper who are SO easily duped ?
And these are the men who, gen
orally, are loudest in their complaints
of hard times. Buy goods only from
those whom you know to be reliable
and trustworthy. Turn loose your
dogs and load your old shot gun and
keep these humbug agents off your
premises, for if you buy their wares
you will one~day be sure to feel like
a fOok
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
BROAD-CLOTH COAT AND COP
PERAS BREECHES.

When a boy we bought a fine sad
die with large quilted skirts-large
enough to cover the whole body of
the shaggy colt, which we rode to
town one day. After dismounting
we noticed a drunken man walking
around the colt and scanning it
closely. Imagine the shock to our
boyish pride when he squared him.
self and said: "Well | (hic) swear!
Looks like a nan with (hic) broad
cloth coat and copperas (hic)
breeches.' How will a t%hree-thous-
and-dollar Governor look in a seven
ty-five thousand dollar house with
it's palatia surroundings and mag
nifce6ce?
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
OUR NEW YEARS GIFT TO
SUBSCRIBERS.

We will send THE PROGRESSIVE
FARMER Free for One Year to
every subscriber who sends us three
new subscribers with sir dollars,
before the 18th day of February
next. Here is a chance to get your
paper free.
Send money in registered letter,
post Office money order or postal
note at our risk.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
THEY WILL STEER CLEAR.

The following we clip from the
Wilson AdUance, which isdoing good
service in the cause Of the farmer:
"The farmers of the county meet
here to-day for the purpose of or
ganizing a farmers club for Wilson
county. The Adrance wishes that
they may succeedEin doing as they
desire but it would warn them against
politicians who would capture them
as these demagogical bootlicks would
gladly do if they have but half an
opportunity. The farmers Of the
county should organize, we believe.
They can accomplish much good if
they only steer clear of the politi-
cally hungry, who are always to be
found in every county. Let your
club, gentlemen, be composed, Off
cered-especially oficered-by men
who are.bona fide farmers and who
are not using your organization for
the purpose Of elevating themselves
politically"
The clubs will take good care that
they be Differed by farmers and
that they will not be controlled nor
manipulated by %aspirants for Office
nor others who have axes to grind
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12

The business failures in the United
States for 1886 were SO5 less than in
1885.
According to DR.. Grissom's estimate
there are 5000 insane people in North
Carolina.
Last year 100000 worth of
property was destroyed by fire in the
United States.
Charlotte has street cars, and a
street car company has been organized
in Durham.
The pension bill, which appropriates
1924, 5000, passed the lower House of
Congress last Thursday.
Secretary Lamar was married at
Macon, GA, last Wednesday to Mrs.
VIM. Holt, of that city.
"A bill has passed the z. S. Senate
for the erection of a U. S. public build
in Wilmington, not to exceed in cost
$l5O,OOO.
The fertilizer tax in North Carolina
last year amounted to $4,000 which
went to the support of the Agricultural
Department.
In 1865 there were 3,9OS railroads
in the United States, in 1886, l2S,967.
There are employed by the various roads
100000 of men.
There are over four millions of farms
in the United States, covering three
hundred millions of acres of land. valued
at $4,000, ,OOO.
Hon. JAS. w. Reid, member of Con-
gress from the 5th n. c.. district. has
rendered his resignation, to take effect
December 31st ult.
GOV. Scales in his message makes a
very proper recommendation that houses
of correction should be established in
the State for youthful criminals.
Julius A. Gray has been elected
President of the National Bank of
Greensboro, to succeed Jesse H. Lind
say. deceased, who had been Presidentfo for
ten years.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT TT

The movement for a mass con
vention of the farmers 0 fNorth Car
DINA has attracted widespread at
tention in the State and is cordially
endorsed. One of the leading farm
ers and most intelligent Citizens
of Vance county, in a/1ctter to ns
speaking about the convention
says:
"This movement if properly d.
rected will, l believe, result in more
good to the State than ANYTHING
that has been started since NV 20
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
T4E ~GRESS FARMER JANUARY H. 1881
turn to North Carolina, in 1882.
bid you Gad speed in the work"

turn to NOrth Carolina, IN 1882,
bid you God speed in the work"
Another\ prominent citizen of
Cabarrus coanty largely engaged in
farming and I'm other industrial en-.
terprises also, writes liam glad the
cali for the farmers mass convention
has been changed from the 10Th to
the Goth and lat Raleigh instead Of
Greensboro. | shall attend it. We
must do something to lift the agri-
cultural interest out of the "slourh
of despondp into which it has fallen,
The farming interest of the county
was never in a more depIorabIe con
dition."
We have received numerous let
ters similar to these, warmly endors-
ing the movement and wishing it
God speed.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
THE CROSS MARK.

The mark on. your paper in
dicates that the time for which you
subscribed has or is about to expire.
1t is to give notice SO your subscrip-
ton may be renewed. If the sub
scription be not renewed the name
will be dropped from the list, but we
want every one to renew and bring
a friend along too.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
COTTON CROP

The following estimates have oeen
promulgated as representing of
cotton crop for the seaSo" g.
1886-'S7: Agricultural Bureau o.
7O5,817 bales; Neill Bros, LlVerpt On
100000 bales; National 'o WiII.
Exchange, 6,414,OOO bales TO- n noo
Fontaine q Co., Memphis, o;'I'0
bales; Bradstreets, 6,355,ooo o"''''
Wilmington Star.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12

The U. S. Senate last Thursday
passed a bill granting a pension of s.. O
a year to the widow of General Logan
and n same amount to Mrs. Francis p
Blair, of Missouri.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12

Read our advertisements. And
you will do us a great favor when
you speak or write OF them, to men
ton The PROGRESSIVE FARMER.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12

Mr.. John R. Webster, lndePe
Democrat, from Rockingham coun's Of
elected Speaker of the n. Z. q
Representatives, by a vote of 80 TO
for Mr.. Overman, of Rowan, the
cratic nominee.
The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-01-12
Winston, n. G., Jan. -, 1881.

This paper entered as second class matter at he
Post Office IN Winston, N. C]
The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-07-23

accumulated during millions OF years
OF the geologic past.
More recent inquiries confirm the
conclusions of Prof. Lesley and Mr..
CARL. The signs of exhaustion in the
producing regions can now be
clearly recognized. During the last
four years there has been steady
diminutiOn in the output, accompanied
by an increase in the price per barrel,
which nevertheless does not even main
tain the nominal annual value of the
supply. Mr.. Wrigley announced in
1882 that 154, 100000 barrels of oil had
already been raised up to the beginning
of that year, and expressed the opin-
ion that not more than $4,000, 900 bar
rels remained to be raised. In this
last estimate he was undoubtedly mis-
taken, for up to the beginning of 1885
no fewer than 161, 900, 900 barrels had
been raised, and in the year 1885 as
many as 21,042,04l barrels (nearly
100000 fewer than in 1880 were OBJ
tanned. But although the estimate in
1882 of the quantity of oil still remain
ing fell far short of the truth, and
though we may admit as possible that
even now much more oil remains to be
put out than the most experienced
biologists suppose, the signs of APP
preaching exhaustion are yearly be-
coming more unmistakable. The ex-
pense of bringing the oil to the surface
grows greater year by year, and
threatens soon to become so great that
the profit of working the oil stores will
be eyanescent. So soon as that STATE
OF things is approached, we may be
sure that the oilmen's occupation in
Pennsylvania and Western New York
will be gone. 1t has been stated that
the japanese, unwilling to let the least
fraction of the earth's interior stores
be lost, have been known to excavate
a vertical shaft to depth of 600 feet in
order to raise few gallons of oil per
day. But in America when the oil
mines are so near exhaustion as this,
they will be abandoned; nay, they will
be abandoned long before they APP
proach such a condition. With the
failures of the oil supply, all the collat,
eral branches of industry associated
with it will fail too. Knowledge.
The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-07-23
YANKEE INGENUITY
Clever Idea Which Rapidly Enriched Its
Thoughtful Author.

Clever Idea Which Rapidly Enriched Its
Thoughtful Author.
The ingenious toy-maker of old who
made a coach-and-four, complete as to
all details, so small that the shell of a
hazelnut would cover it, has been sur
passed in the line of ingenious play
things by Rhode Island Yankee. With
true Yankee shrewdness, this toy
maker has so constructed his creations
that they make money and draw it
from two channels into one Golfer.
The devices are the little gold and
silver steamboats,, locomotives, fire.
engines and Corliss engines, which am
found in the luxurious New York
hotel Hobbies and in public resorts
all over the Union. The idea of
constructing these toys, whose mech
anism should be made to move by
dropping nickels into slot in the
pedestal on which they rested, origin
ated with an ingenious New England
matchmaker and fortunes are now be-
ing made out of the enterprise. One
large firm in Providence, r. l., has a
large factory devoted entirely to the
business and scores of men employed.
Strange to say, the makers refuse to
sell their goods. Last week the pro-
prietor of the principal hotel on Union
Square offered the manufacturer in
question $1,000 for the model of a
steam fire-engine, the machinery of
which runs to the tunes of a music box
after one has dropped nickle into the
slot in the pedestal. The offer was
refused because the firm never per-
mits its goods to go out of its posses
sion. They lease the toys for the hand
some sum of $50 per month, or give
the proprietors of profitable resorts a
percentage of the income. In cases
where percentage is given the col
lector of bank, designated by the
owners, calls once week to clean out
the nickels that the toy has accumu-
lated and to give the proprietor of the
place his share, which never exceeds 3e
per cent In popular resorts the in
come from these toys amount to IS and
$l2 a day. They are models of fire en-
gines, locomotives or steamers of some
Wsll-known manufacturers or lines
which pay the company for making
them handsome sum for advertising
their corporations. Thus money from
two sources accrues to the rich Yankees
who originated the idea. The Yankee
has not yet been able to make music
boxes that equal those of the Swiss
manufacture, and the makers of the
toys in question, all of which are pro-
vided with music boxes, send abroad
$4,000 a year for them. The most
profitable model is a steam fire-engine.
A magnificent locomotive, perfect as
to every detail, ranks next in popular
ity. Its machinery works, its electric
headlight blazes forth and music box
underneath it plays popular airs at the
instance of nickel. In a few weeks
habitues of one New York place who
choose to spend their nickels on the de-
vice will see the perfect model of s
modern perfecting printing press
which will throw off as souvenirs copies
of a newspaper. The manufacturer
will derive income from the nickels
from the royalty paid by the newspa
per advertised or from certain firm,
whose advertisements appear in tn,
souvenirs Amos j. Cummings, IL
Philadelphia Press.
The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-07-23
THE PETROLEUM SUPPLY.
Its Complete Exhaustion Within Few De-
cades Confidently Predicted.

Its Complete Exhaustion Within n Few De-
cades Confidently Predicted.
1t can hardly be doubted, l feaA that
the supply both of oil and gas has
now been so largely drawn upon that
within less than q score of years
scarcely any will be left which can be
brought at reasonable cost into the
market The boundaries and extent
of the oil regions have been deter
mined. All the sands in which oil will
ever be found in such quantities rs to
be worth working are known, and
have been drilled through in various
places. 1t is scarcely possible that any
new fields will be discovered which
will be comparable either in extent or
productiveness with those now known.
So far back as January, 1888, Prof.
Lesley pointed out that no petroleum
is now being produced in the Devonian
rocks, either by the process akin to
distillation or otherwise. What
has been stored up in the past,
a process which probably lasted
for millions of years, may be got out.
But when these reservoirs are ex-
hausted there will be an end of the
petroleum supply. The discovery of
few more pools of two or three mil
lions of barrels each can make little
difference" Mr.. CARL, whose opinion
on the geology of the oil-bearing dis
tricts may be regarded as decisive, has
come to similar conclusion. "There
are not at present." he pointed out
quite recently, "any reasonable grounds
for expecting the discovery of new
fields which will add to the declining
products of the old, so as to enable the
output to keep pace with the shipments
or consumption"
The stored petroleum in this region
has then been very nearly exhausted.
In less than a generation a small part
of the population Of this continent
alone has used up nearly all the val
cable stores of energy which had been
The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-07-23

rAsrnr
Dust Proof
Watches

were originally made for rail-
way men, whose service par
ticularly required an abso-
lutely tight closing case.
They have given entire
satisfaction, and their reputa-
ton has spread SO rapidly
that they have become the
standard Watches for Millers,
Miners, Lumbermen, Far
mers, Mechanics, Engineers,
Travellers and others whose
occupation requires a watch
which is proof against dust
and moisture.
Over 10000 WALrHAM
PATENT DUST PROOF CASES
are now in actual use.
The WALTHAM were the
first PATENT DUST PROOF
CASES manufactured, and are
the only Ones which com
pletely exclude dust and
moisture from the movement.
They are far superior to
all others claiming equal
advantages.
Each genuine case is
plainly marked with the
name and trade mark of the
AMERICAN WALTHAM WATCH
COMPANY.
FOR SALE BY ALL FIRST CLASS
JEWELLERS.
The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-07-23
Emigration of the World.


Recent statistics show that 10, 900, 900
of people are residing in other than
their native country. In England there
are 203,00 foreigners; in Russia 344,-
900; France, 1,001,000; Switzerland,
211,O35; Austria, 1866; Belgium,
las, 665; Holland, 69,97l; Italy, SO, 957;
Scandinavia, so, 1858; Spain, 41,703. In
North America there are 1900, O42 for
eigners; in South America 1888, 1O5; in
Asia, 1884 344, and in Africa, 14O, 1888.
England takes the lead in the number
of people who leave her shores. At the
present time 100000 of her sons are
scattered over the world. Germany
comes next, with total of 2,601, 900;
strangely enough $4,000 of these are
residing in France alone, while 2,000,-
600 are in the United States. The other
nations rate in the following order;
Italy, 100000; Scandinavia, 795, O7O:
Belgium, $4,000; Franco 1872, 662,
Spain, 45S, 400; Austria, 1900, Of
whom 11S, 600 reside in Germany.-M
T. Herald.
The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-07-23
SALISBURY sPIRE.
DIR. Holmes Impressions of One OF the
Worlds Most Famous Structures.

DIR. Holmes Impressions of One OF the
Worlds Most Famous Structures.
In my various excursions from Sails.
bury was followed everywhere by the
all-pervading presence of the towering
spire. Just what it was in that earlier
visit when my eyes were undimmed
and my sensibilities unworn, just such
l found it now. AS one drives away
from the town, the roofs of the houses
drop out of the landscape, the lesser
spires disappear one by one, until the
great shaft is left standing alone-soli-
tary as the broken statue of Ozymandi-
as in the desert, as the mast of some
mighty ship above the waves which
have rolled over the laundering vessel.
most persons will, think, own to a
feeling of awe in looking up at it.
Few can look down from great
height without creepings and crispa-
tons, if they do not get as far as verti-
gos and that erial calenture which
prompts them to jump from the pin.
nacle on which they are standing. 1t
does not take much imagination to
make one experience something of the
same feeling in looking up at very
tall steeple or chimney. To one whose
eyes are used to Park Street and the
Old South steeples as standards Of
height, spire which climbs four hun
dred feet towards the sky is a new sem
sation. Whether am more "afraid of
that which is high" than l was at my
first visit, as | should be on the aGthori-
ty of Ecclesiastes, l can not say, but it
was quite enough for me to let my
eyes climb the spire, and l had no de-
sire whatever to stand upon that "bad
eminence," as l am sure l should
have found it.
l soon noticed a slight detection
from the perpendicular at the upper
part of the spire. This has long been
observed l could not say that saw
it quivering in the wind, as l felt that
of Strasburg doing when l assembled n
-swaying like blade of grass when a
breath of air passes over it. But it has
been, for at least two hundred years,
nearly two feet out of the perpendicu-
lar. No increase in the deviation was
found to exist when examined early in
the present century. 1t is a wonder
that this slight-looking structure can
have survived the blasts, and thunder
bolts, and earthquakes, and the weak
ening effects of time on its stones and
timbers for five hundred years. Since
the spire of Chichester Cathedral fell
in 1861, sheathing itself in its tower
like a sword dropping into its scabbard,
one can hardly help looking with APP
prehension at all these towering fab
RIGS. l have before referred to the fall
of the spire of Tewkesbury Abbey
Church, three centuries earlier. There
has been a good deal of fear for the Sal
isbury spire, and great precautions have
been taken to keep it firm, so that w
may hope 1t will stand for another FIVE
hundred years. fought to be 10y
forever" for it is a thing of beauty, if
ever there were one OliUer Wendell
| Holmes, tn Atlantic.